1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hair treatment, and more particularly, to a hair treatment device for use primarily in the process of setting hair and straightening naturally curly hair by applying tension to the hair shaft and applying a selected hair setting or relaxing solution. One of the problems associated with curly hair is the tendency of the hair ends to become "stringy" and difficult to manage. The hair shafts are subjected to tension in the curls and can be relaxed only by application of certain chemicals to eliminate or at least minimize the wave pattern in the hair. Typically, these chemicals are applied after the hair is parted, and the solution is allowed to remain on the hair for a specified period of time to relax the hair shafts and remove the wave. This technique has long been used to relax the natural wave in hair and to change the wave pattern to more manageable proportions. The hair treatment device of this invention includes a tension roller of generally cylindrical configuration, which in a preferred embodiment is split along the length thereof and contains a plurality of apertures, the tension roller being designed to roll strands of hair thereon and to subject the strands so positioned to a selected amount of tension. The tension roller is secured in the hair with the aid of a comb base, a pin base or a roller base having a design hereinafter described to help facilitate tensioning of the hair shafts and to help effect the desired straightening of the hair. The tension roller of this invention may be quickly and easily positioned in the hair, and hair relaxing solutions of desired composition may then be applied in order to accomplish the desired purpose. The tension roller can also be used to "set" hair and create curly hair in permanent waves by using the comb base, pin base or roller base in cooperation with a tension roller which is not split according to a preferred embodiment of this invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices for curling and treating hair are known in the prior art, and typical of such devices is the hair curling device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,503 to Albert Safianoff, which consists of a mandrel and a cooperating sleeve designed to hold a tress of hair in wound configuration on the mandrel. The device is designed to form curls in the hair as the individually wound tresses are caused to assume a curled configuration from winding on the mandrel. Another hair curling device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,423,252 to O. R. Nemeth, which device is used for both dressing and drying hair. The Nemeth aparatus includes a hollow cylindrical body fitted with a spaced disc and holes provided in the body to permit air to be blown through the hollow interior of the body and out of the holes. Hair tresses are wound around the cylindrical body between the discs, treated as desired, and dried by application of air, for example, by means of a hair dryer. The tresses are then secured in place by elastic bands stretched from one end of the device to the other.
While the references described above are used primarily to render hair curly by the techniques described therein, the device of the instant invention is designed both to curl hair and to straighten naturally curly hair by applying tension to the hair shafts and subsequently applying a hair setting or relaxing solution of selected concentration to the hair. There exists today a need in the hair treatment field for, and it is an object of this invention to provide, a hair treatment device for both setting hair and straightening naturally curly hair, which device is small, light in weight, easy to manipulate and to anchor in the hair, and is capable of receiving strands, tufts or tresses of hair in isolated fashion for efficient treatment.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hair treatment device which applies tension to the hair shaft preparatory to application of a hair setting or relaxing solution, and eliminates the necessity for combing and smoothing the hair in isolated segments or sections prior to application of the hair treatment solution.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved hair treatment device which in a preferred embodiment is characterized by a generally cylindrically shaped, split tension roller which may be optionally fitted with a tension-applying device such as a spring in the interior thereof, and a securing means for securing the tension roller and hair tuft or tress wound thereon in the hair and applying tension to the hair shaft preparatory to application of a hair relaxing solution to create a smooth, wavy hair shaft which is easily managed.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a hair treatment device which minimizes contact between the hair treatment solution and the scalp and which includes a generally cylindrically shaped tension roller having a plurality of apertures in the wall thereof, and a comb base having comb teeth for insertion under the tension roller and a tension cord in cooperation with the apertures in the tension roller to maintain a selected amount of tension on the hair strand as the hair is wound on the roller.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved hair treatment device which includes a generally cylindrically shaped, hollow tension roller having a split side and capable of receiving a tuft or tress of hair wound thereon, with a selected amount of tension applied to the hair by means of the tension in the roller, and further including a roller base and tension cord combination for engagement with the tension roller to maintain the proper tension on the hair shaft and to stabilize the tension roller in the hair.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a cylindrical, hollow tension roller, which in a preferred embodiment is split along the length thereof, and having a plurality of apertures therein and designed to accommodate a securing means including a comb base with comb teeth and comb picks, or a roller base having a pair of roller base legs, the selected securing means being equipped with a tension cord for mating with at least one of the apertures in the tension roller to provide a selected degree of tension on the shaft of the hair wound on the tension roller.